I do not own any of the main characters in this story except for Gilded Rose. They are owned by someone in Japan. However, with the exception of Serena Campbell and Amy Anderson, I do own the Americanized names of the characters, as well as many of the supporting characters and villians. To make things easy, we'll just say that anything that has appeared in the manga or anime version of Sailor Moon is owned by someone in Japan, most likely Toei or Naoko Takeuchi.

Friday, 11 April 1986, Malvern High School, Sunny Hills, California.

"Hey Jake," Serena Campbell called out to Jake Slater from across the hall. "Did you hear the 411 on the new girl in school?"

"You mean that girl who came from Brighton Academy?" Jake asked.

"She's from the 'Brain farm'?" Serena asked.

"Yeah," Jake answered. "If she got in there, she's got to be smart. I heard Melvin failed the enterance exam."

"Melvin failed the enterance exam?" Serena asked. "I mean, I could understand if I failed the exam, or you or anyone else, but Melvin? He's got to be the smartest student in school," she said, as she and Jake walked towards their lockers.

"Tell me about it," Jake said as he opened his locker in his usual manner, holding the latch with one hand, while pounding on the door near the lock with the other and pulling up. "He barely studies for Frappier's midterm in algebra and still gets a 98. Speaking of which, how'd you do? Did you actually get a decent mark, or were your usual meatball-headed self?"

During lunch, Jake Slater was reading a comic book and munching on popcorn. A girl with short black hair sat at the same table and began eating her lunch. "You're the new girl, aren't you?" Jake asked. "The girl from Brighton?"

"You don't call it "The Brain Farm" like everyone else," the girl said.

"Nah," Jake said. "I have a cousin that goes there. You don't by any chance know Eric Martin, do you?"

"He wouldn't be a tall, skinny guy who is obsessed with Bob Dylan?" the girl asked.

Amy and Jake talked until the end of the lunch break, and just before the bell rang, Jake asked "You doing anything tonight?"

"Not really," Amy said. "Why do you ask?"

"Well," Jake said, "The Orpheum Theatre downtown is showing A Hard Day's Night, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in seeing it with me."

"I'll have to ask my mother," Amy said, "but other than that, I'd love to go."

Jake handed Amy a slip of paper on which he had written down his phone number. "Call me tonight and let me know," he said, as the bell rang.

Interlude:the Moon, 1,000 years ago

These were desperate times for Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom. The Darkness had struck hard, and struck fast, and were slowly gaining control of the Moon Kingdom. The Darkness had decimated the various clans that made up the Soverign Protectorate, and the only clan left to fight was the Order of the Gilded Rose. "Surely," Queen Serenity thought to herself, "The Order of the Gilded Rose will not fail me. . . "

Her thoughts were interrupted by one of her royal guardsmen. "Queen Serenity," he called as he entered her chamber, followed by two other guards, carrying the bloodied and beaten form of a young black robed figure between them, "The Order of the Gilded Rose has fallen," As the other guardsmen carefully lay the wounded warrior on a bench in the chamber, the first guardsman continued. "Jacara is the last surviving member of the clan, although he was badly injured."

"Take him to my private bedchambers and send for my best healer," Queen Serenity ordered. "I will take whatever steps necessary to save him. My plans for the preservation of the Moon Kingdom depend on his survival."

Jacara was helped to Queen Serenity's bedchambers, and within the hour, a healer had arrived to tend to his injuries. The healer examined Jacara for several minutes, and finally told Queen Serenity that Jacara's injuries were not life-threatening. He then got a small vial of a purple, ink-like liquid out of a pouch in his tunic, and gave it to Jacara. "The potion I gave him will help," the healer said. "Other than that, all he needs is rest. The potion will heal his injuries while he sleeps. I must warn you, though, when he wakes up, he will be hungry. A large meal will help him regain his strength." With that, the healer left.

The next day, Queen Serenity called the Sailor Soldiers into her private chambers, for what would be the last time.

"My daughter, Sailor Soldiers, Prince Endymion, Jacara," Queen Serenity addressed the group. "The Darkness is taking over the Moon Kingdom and I fear we will not survive. However, there is one way to protect the future of the Kingdom. I will send the Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion into the future to be reborn so that they may restore the Moon Kingdom someday. I am also sending the Sailor Soldiers and Jacara of the Order of the Gilded Rose to protect the Princess. You will have no memories of your life here on the Moon until the time is right for you to remember. I will send my feline advisors Luna and Artemis to assist you. I wish there was another way to save you," She said sorrowfully. As she sent her subjects into the future, the Darkness attacked the castle. In her last act before dying, Queen Serenity placed the minions of the Darkness in a microdimension. One that they would never escape. . . until now.

Back in 1986, later in the afternoon

Amy's mom met her at the door when she got home from school. "How was your first day at your new school?" she asked.

"Pretty good," Amy replied. "I met a boy, and he asked me out on a date. He wanted to take me to see A Hard Day's Night at the Orpheum."

"Well," Dr. Anderson said, "I have to work late at the hospital tonight. Just make sure you're not out too late."

"Thanks mom," Amy said.

Meanwhile, in another part of town

Serena was walking home when she saw several boys harrassing a black cat. "Leave that cat alone!" she yelled at the boys. As the boys scattered, Serena approached the cat. "Are you okay, kitty?" she asked. When the cat meowed, Serena noticed the cat had a bandage on its forehead. She removed the bandage and noticed a crescent moon on its forehead. "How weird," Serena thought, "That cat has a crescent moon on its forehead."

Serena let the cat go, and was walking down the street, when she ran into Darrien Romano. Quite literally. "Why don't you watch where you're going, meatball head?" he asked.

"Nice to see you too Darrien," Serena said.

Darrien picked up some of the papers that Serena dropped. He saw her algebra midterm. "A 72," he said. "Very impressive. That is, for you."

"Gee, thanks," she said, with a hint of bitterness in her voice, as she stormed off.

Later that evening, around 6:45

A black 1958 Ford Fairlane Skyliner retractable hardtop pulls up in front of the Anderson house. The song Pictures of Matchstick Men by Status Quo is playing on the car stereo. When the car came to a stop, Jake set the parking brake, removed the cassette tape from the stereo, and killed the ignition. He then got out of the car and went up to the fromt door. He rang the doorbell, and Amy answered the door. Jake was more than a little surprised at what Amy was wearing: black turtleneck, checkered miniskirt, black tights, and white go-go boots. "Wow!" was all he could say.

"When I told my mom I was going to see a Beatles movie," Amy told Jake, "she dug up one of her old miniskirts from when she was my age, and she also found her old boots, and I added the tights and turtleneck." She went upstairs. "I have the perfect earrings to go wiht this outfit," she said. "I'll be down in a second. She came down wearing a pair of large hoop earrings, and she and Jake left. In Jake's car, he put a cassette of Who's Next by the Who in the stereo. As the song Behind Blue Eyes faded out, and the song Won't get Fooled Again began, Jake commented "The scream at the end of this song, as far as I'm concerned, is the greatest scream in the history of rock and roll."

As Jake was commenting on the vocal talents of Roger Daltrey, Amy was thinking to herself "This is the guy I want to spend the rest of my life with."

Meanwhile, in yet another part of town

Alan Bradley was busy sweeping in front of Noah's Arcade, when a black cat with a crescent moon on its forehead walked by. "Oh hi Luna," Alan said. "You want some sardines and milk?" he asked the cat. Alan had discovered the cat about six months earlier, and had named it Luna because of the crescent moon on its forehead, and also because it liked the name. As Alan went into the back to get food for Luna, she climbed onto an unused Sailor V machine. As her paw touched the screen, the machine spoke. "Voice confirmation, please," the machine asked.

"I love tuna fish and fieldmouse pudding," Luna answered.

"Voice confirmed," the machine said. "We have found the Princess Serenity," it continued.

"Show me the identity of the Princess Serenity," Luna asked.

The machine showed a picture of Serena. "The Princess Serenity now goes by the name of Serena Campbell. We believe you have had contact with her recently."

"That's her," Luna thought to herself. "That's the girl that saved me from those ruffians earlier today." "I have had contact with her," Luna answered. "She saved me from an attack earlier today."

45 minutes later

Serena was in her room, reading, when Luna came in through the window."Oh, it's you," Serena said. "The cat I rescued today. What are you doing here, kitty?"

"I'm here to show you your destiny," Luna said.

Serena was startled when Luna spoke. "Y-y-y-you spoke!" she said. "But you're a cat! Cats don't speak, they just meow. I just imagined you speaking. Yeah, that's it, I just imagined it."

"I can't believe this hysterical girl is the princess of the Moon Kingdom," Luna said.

"This cat talks," Serena said, "and it's saying that I'm a princess on the Moon. I really need to lay off the Yoo-Hoo."

"This is not your imagination," Luna said. "Listen carefully to what I have to tell you. I do not have time to go into details right now, but suffice it to say that you are the rightful born princess of the Moon Kingdom." Luna jumped in the air and did a flip, and a silver, heart-shaped brooch landed on the bed next to Serena. "You have been born to save the world from evil," Luna said. "When evil strikes, open this brooch, touch the jewel inside, and say 'Pretty Moon Soldier, Make-up!' and you will become Sailor Moon, the protector of the Earth. If you look inside your heart, it will guide you, although I will be there when I am needed. I must go now, and find the others which will aid you in your battle against evil."

"Wait a second," Serena said as Luna was leaving. "You never told me your name."

"My name is Luna," Luna said as she left through the window.

Later that evening, around 10:30

Jake Slater parked his car in front of Amy Anderson's house and shut off the engine. He got out of the car, and went around to open the door for Amy, and the two of them walked to the front door. "I had a wonderful time tonight," Amy said. "I really enjoyed the movie. And I really enjoyed being with you."

"I really enjoyed being with you too," Jake said. "Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Of course," Amy said, and she and Jake kissed.

Five minutes later, a few blocks away

Rae Lincoln was sitting on her bed, polishing her toenails, and listening to Catching up with Depeche Mode on headphones. Suddenly, the lights in her room flashed off for a second. Rae took off her headphones. "What's up?" she asked.

"There's a cow on the veranda," her mom said.

"A cow?" Rae asked.

"That's what it sounds like," Rae's mom said. "Something's out on the veranda mooing."

"Oh, that's just Jake," Rae said. "Can you unlock the door for me? My toes are still wet."

"Oh yeah," Rae's mom said as she went over to open the door. I forgot that was his way of telling you to open the veranda door."

"About time someone opened the door," Jake said as Rae's mom opened the door. I was afraid someone would come by and wonder why on Earth I would be sitting on your veranda and mooing. They'd probably think I was a couple of violins short of an orchestra or something."

"So how was your date?" Rae asked Jake.

"I'm in love," Jake replied.

"That's a new one for you," Rae said.

"I'm serious this time," Jake said. "On the way home from the movie, I played Snoopy vs. the Red Baron. Except for you, I have never played that song for a girl. I know I'm rarely serious about a lot of things, but I am dead serious about this."

"Just because you play a song for her that you are embarrassed to admit that you like," Rae said, "doesn't mean you're in love with her."

"How about the fact that I haven't stopped thinking about her since I dropped her off at home?" he said. "So tell me Amy, have you ever. . . " Jakle realized the Freudian slip he made.

"You must be in love," Rae said. "You just called me Amy. You wouldn't call me by someone else's name unless you were thinking about that person. So where did you meet this Amy anyways?"

"She transferred from Brighton today," Jake said. She sat at my table at lunch, we began to talk, and I asked her out." Jake sat down at the foot of Rae's bed. "When did you get a cat?" he asked.

"We don't have a cat," she replied.

"If you don't have a cat, what is that one doing out on the veranda?" he asked, pointing to Luna. "I just noticed it there."

"I've found you two," Luna said as she climbed onto the bed.

"I thought someone at the theatre was smoking grass," Jake said. "I must have gotten a contact high, because I could have sworn I heard that cat talk. Either it was a contact high, or the fumes from your nail polish."

"I think it was the nail polish," Rae said, "because I heard the cat speak too."

"You're not imagining anything," Luna said. "I am here to show the two of you your destiny. You two have been born to fight the Darkness that threatens this planet." Luna jumped in the air and did a flip. When she landed, a gold coated rose and a pen-sized wand with a small sphere with the symbol for the planet Mars on it landed on the bed. Jake instinctively picked up the rose, and Rae picked up the pen. "These will allow you to battle the Darkness," Luna said.

"How do they work?" Rae asked.

"For you," Luna said, "hold your pen up and say 'Pretty Mars Soldier, Make-up!' and you will be transformed into Sailor Mars."

"Yeah, right, it would be that simple," Jake said. "Transform!" he said, and threw the rose down at his feet. He was enveloped by a golden smoke, and when the smoke disappeared, he was dressed all in black, with a hooded cloak, full-head mask, and boots, and he was carrying a six-foot black staff in his right hand. "This is cool," he said. "This is a cool costume. Where did it come from?"

"This was the uniform of the Order of the Gilded Rose," Luna explained. "You are the last surviving member of the order. The two of you were sent into the future from a thousand years ago to fight the Darkness and to restore the Moon Kingdom."

"This is too much," Rae said. "Talking cats, Moon Kingdoms, fancy new powers, the whole ball of wax. But that doesn't mean you can count me out. I'll play along with all of this."

"Gilded Rose," Jake said as he powered down and assumed his normal form. "I guess that's as good a name as any other. Listen, Rae, I gotta go, I'll talk to you tomorrow. If the cat needs to talk to me some more," Luna interrupted him to tell them her name, "Okay, if Luna needs to tell me any more, I'll be next door. Just climb down the trellice, and up the tree, and leap down onto the sill. There's a Coke bottle with a pirate flag in it on the sill, and I'll leave the window open just enough for you to get in." With that, Jake left.

Meanwhile, at Amy's house

Amy was writing in her diary. April 11, 1986Dear Diary,You know how my mom always told me about "the one"? You know, the one true love of a person's life? Well, I found him tonight. His name's Jake. He's nothing like any of the other boys I have ever met. I can't really describe how I feel when I'm around him. He's the guy I want to grow old with. I've only known him for a few hours, but I do know he's the person I'm destined to spend my life with.

-Amy

The next morning, Serena's house

Serena answered the doorbell. "Jeez, Molly," she said to the red-haired girl at the door, "Why did you have to wake me up so damn early?"

"It's 10:30," Molly Beil replied. "You're acting like I came over at 4:00 in the morning or something."

"Probably," Molly said. "She doesn't have any appointments until after 2."

"Great," Serena said. "I'll be ready in about five minutes."

The Microdimension where the Darkness is imprisoned.

"FINALLY,"a disembodied voice said, "AFTER 1000 YEARS, WE ARE ABLE TO PENETRATE THIS MICRODIMENSION IN WHICH WE WERE IMPRISONED. UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE ONLY ABLE TO SEND ONE OF OUR MINIONS THROUGH THE RIFT."

A dark green, reptilian creature in black robesstepped forward. "I will go through the rift to collect energy so we can escape the microdimension," he said.

"DO NOT FAIL US, SAURIOT" the voice said. "OR NEED WE REMIND YOU OF THE PENALTY FOR FAILURE?"

"I will not fail," Sauriot said.

Later that day, at the mall

Serena had just gotten a manicure, and was walking towards the food court when she noticed something strange. Everyone was just lying there, as if they were dead. She then say Sauriot draining the energy from another victim. "Good," he said, "Give your energy to the Darkness."

"That's not right," Serena said to herself. "But what can I do about it?" At that moment, she remembered the brooch Luna gave her the previous night. She opened it and touched the jewel, and said "Pretty Moon Soldier, Make-up!" She found herself transformed into Sailor Moon. She was now wearing a sailor suit with a short blue skirt, white gloves, a golden tiara, and red boots. She noticed a mirror and looked at herself. "I look like something out of a Japanese cartoon," she said to herself. Turning to Saurito, she said "I am Sailor Moon, and in the name of the Moon, you're going down!"

Meanwhile, at the food court

Jake and Rae were eating lunch and discussing the albums they bought at Licorice Pizza. "Let's see," Jake said, "I got 5150 by Van Halen, Asylum by KISS, and Hot Rocks and More Hot Rocks by the Rolling Stones. How about you?"

"Falco 3 by Falco, Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, Hunky Dory, and Young Americans by David Bowie, and London Calling by the Clash," Rae answered. They hear the noise of the battle between Sailor Moon and Sauriot. "What was that?" she asked.

Jake ran towards the battle, and called back to rae. "It looks like some fugitive from a Japanese comic book is fighting a psychotic iguana who's trying to steal energy from all the other shoppers. Looks like those new superpowers that Luna gave us last night would come in handy right now." ZHe made a gold coated rose appear in his hand, threw it on the ground, and said "Transform!" He was surrounded by gold smoke, and when it dissapated, he was transformed into Gilded Rose.

"Now you're speaking my language," Rae said, as she held her transformation pen and yelled "Pretty Mars Soldier, Make-up!" She was wearing a costume similar to the one worn by Sailor Moon, but her skirt and collar were red, and instead of boots, whe was wearing red pumps.

Due to her inexperience, Sailor Moon was getting her butt handed to her on a silver platter. "I can't believe this," she whined, "My first day as a hero, and I'm fighting a homicidal talking iguana, I have no idea what I'm doing, and, to top it all off, I think I broke a nail, and I just had a manicure."

Sauriot fired several bolts of energy from his eyes at Sailor Moon, and was about to move in for the kill, when a golden rose appeared from nowhere and landed between Sailor Moon and Sauriot, and the next thing Sailor Moon saw was a dark blur attacking Sauriot. After getting several hits in, the fugure leapt into the air and landed next to Sailor Moon, where he introduced himself as Gilded Rose. "Sailor Mars, now!" Gilded Rose yelled.

"Mars flame sniper!" Sailor Mars said, and formed a bow out of fire, and shot a flame arrow at Sauriot. Gilded Rose took a short running start, and leapt off a wall, and landed several meters behind Sailor Mars. "Sailor Moon," sailor Mars said, "When I tell you, throw your tiara at the iguana and yell 'Moon Tiara, attack!'." Mars dropped down to one knee. "Gilded Rose, now!" she yelled.

At that, Gilded Rose took a running start and launched himself off of Sailor Mars' shoulders. At the top of his ascent, he materialized his staff, which was now 18" long, and as he flew towards Sauriot, he yelled "Gold Rush!" and fired several bolts of energy from the staff. He landed several yards behind Sauriot, and teleported behind the two Sailor Soldiers.

"Sailor Moon, now!" Sailor Mars yelled.

"Moon Tiara, attack!" Sailor Moon yelled, and threw her tiara at Sauriot. As the tiara hit him, he disappeared, and the other patrons came back to life. "I'm glad you two showed up when you did," Sailor Moon said, "or else I would have been a goner."

You know," Gilded Rose said, "since it appears that we are going to be working together, there are a few things we should let out into the open." With that, he materialized a golden rose, and threw it on the ground. A golden smoke surrounded the three of them, and when it dissapated, the three of them were in their civilian identities.

"Rae Lincoln," Jake said. "She and I have been best friends for years. She goes to St. Iggy's" Rae gives him a wounded look. "Okay, she goes to St. Ignacius. Rae, this is Serena Campbell. She and I go to school together." Rae and Serena shook hands. "It seems this fugitive from V is the beginning of our problems," he continued. "I sure hope the three of us aren't the only ones to fight the Darkness."

Meanwhile, in the Microdimension

"SAURIOT HAS FAILED US," the disembodied voice said. "HE WAS UNABLE TO GATHER THE LIFE ENERGIES FROM THAT INSIGNIFIGANT PLANET. IT ALSO SEEMS THAT WHELP OF OUR JAILER THINKS SHE AND HER FRIENDS CAN STOP US. SHE IS SADLY MISTAKEN. ONCE WE HAVE COLLECTED ENOUGH LIFE ENERGY, WE WILL ESCAPE, AND THEY AND THEIR PLANET WILL BE CRUSHED UNDER OUR BOOTS."

EPILOG

Monday morning, Malvern High School

Everyone in school was talking about the battle at the mall the previous Saturday. Everyone, that is, except for Serena Campbell and Jake Slater. They didn't need to talk about it, they lived it.

At lunch, Jake and Amy were talking about their weekends. "So what did you do that was fun and exciting?" Amy asked.

"Nothing much," Jake lied. "Just went to the mall and picked up some records. Nothing much, just the new Van Halen, the last KISS, some Rolling Stones. Yesterday, I went to the ball game. How was your weekend?"

"Pretty boring," Amy said. "After you called Saturday, I went over to see my uncle Lance, and yesterday, I went to Disneyland, and you're not going to believe who I saw there. . . "

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.